Solar Panel

[ECR]

Hello -
We are first-time boat owners and just got our 2017 R25 SC in April. There is a solar panel and a Morningstar Remote Meter in the cabin. From what I've read the panel will charge bank 1 first (house) then bank 2 (engine).

The other day when it was sunny out the Morningstar meter was reading the solar panel icon as 2.56 A - I would just like to understand what that means and how I should think about solar if we were anchored for a couple of days.

We are in Southern California so I think we can really benefit from this since we do not have a generator but maybe a generator is still a good idea.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Severum88]

Depends on your usage at anchor. I am in SoCal as well, with a C26. The 2.5A is the current from the solar panel to the bank, at that moment.....is my understanding. I had the exact same setup, and upgraded to two grape 180w solar panels vs original Kyocera 140w. The Morningstar duo can handle the peak 18A or so at optimal....so no further upgrades needed. I also shifted mounting of the panels for better exposure vs being partially shaded. This allowed us to go from a cautious 2 nights at Catalina, to 3-4 carefree nights. Fridge runs all the time. Occasional microwave, but nothing more than a few min. Lights, stereo, water, toilet, tv used a lot.

 

[ECR]

Thanks for the info - super helpful. We only have one panel so investing in another might be a good option.